If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands

My one-year-old instantly lights up and starts clapping the moment I begin singing this familiar tune—even when I’m just one- or two-words in. And every time, his overwhelming joy brings a smile to my face, regardless of the day’s worries and woes I might be bringing to the interaction.

Oh, to have such innocent joy without the weight of the world on your shoulders. While adulthood in general brings stresses and anxiety, the life of a lawyer seems to magnify and highlight each and every one. I distinctly remember being warned during law school orientation about the alarming state of mental health within the legal community. And every year, articles and studies are published with new statistics confirming the same.

It makes sense. The legal profession has always been seen as one that is high-stakes, demanding, pressure-filled, results-oriented, and often unforgiving. We work long hours—sometimes with little gratification or sense of accomplishment—and never allow ourselves to make mistakes. This leads to burnout, discontent with our jobs, poor performance, and a negative impact on our lives, relationships, and mental health overall.

As we enter the second half of the calendar year (and billing cycle), let us all take some time to reflect on how we can best tackle challenging seasons in our profession and encourage those around us to do the same.

• Ask for help. Do not be ashamed to admit when you are in over your head, are spread too thin, or just need to take a mental break. Normalizing this starts with us. Have colleagues you can trust to fill in the gaps for you, and offer the same assistance to others.
• You are not alone. Understand that there are many others, likely some right down the hall from you, experiencing similar feelings. Tap into your community. We are stronger together.
• Be real. Transparency is key. Stay true to yourself, and this will empower others to do the same. Set realistic boundaries and expectations. You know best what you are capable of, but you also best know your own limits.
• Find an outlet. Leave work at lunch to go take a walk, go on a run, or workout if you need to. You will come back more productive and in a better headspace because of it.
• Know your limits. Listening to your body and accepting when you are close to your breaking point can help keep you from getting to the breaking point.
• Utilize resources. There are so many counseling options today—group, individual, in-person, remote (even app-based). Your firm, company, or state bar association may provide additional resources at no cost to you as well.
• Create joy in your job. Maybe you do not love the cases or type of work you are doing right now but it pays the bills. That is ok. Pick up a pro bono case in an area that may give you some fulfillment and remind you why wanted to be a lawyer.

As lawyers, it is important to recognize the challenges facing our profession and engage directly in how to combat them, particularly when it comes to mental health and wellness. These are just a few ideas to think about as you face stressful times yourself, sense colleagues (including those on the other side of the “v”) are facing a challenging season, or as you work in a managerial position where you can advocate for a better mental space for those in your firm. If we all take small steps to better ourselves, better assist others, and normalize conversations surrounding mental health, we can hopefully all have more to clap about.